Buckle



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT L. BAILEY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 34,868, dated April 8, 1862.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT L. BAILEY, of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Buckle for Connecting the Ends of Straps and Things of Like Nature; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact desorption thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in providinga buckle of such construction as to admit of the ready connection of the ends of a strap, and when connected, by simply reversing the position of the buckle, the strap is tightened in a very expeditious and effectual manner.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The bow, or frame is similar in form to that of a common buckle; a long tongue A is fixed rigidly to, or made a part of one side, projecting outward from the middle of that side, and another tongue E which is shorter, also rigidly Xed to the opposite side of the bow D, and projecting inward in a line with the longer tongue, and in the same direction. These tongues may be of any suitable length, varying of course with the size of the buckle. Nearly the same effect may be obtained by leaving oif the short tongue, but I do not consider it so convenient in use.

The buckle with its tongues may be bent into form, from wire of proper size, or it may be cast. Vhen bent from wire, the tongues are made of two thicknesses of wire, thereby rendering them stronger. Its operation will be fully understood from the following description and reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a View of the buckle in its simplest form, with but one tongue; Fig. 2 shows the buckle with a long and short tongue, while the dotted lines P P show where two short tongues may be placed. Fig. 3, represents the buckle and strap connected, and Fig. 4, its position when fastened.

When the short tongue E, is omitted, one end of the strap is fastened to that side of t-he buckle opposite the long tongue A by stitching or riveting; but when both tongues are used, the connection of the strap 0, with the buckle is made by drawing both ends through the bow D, of the buckle, and passing the long tongue through the hole in one end, and the short tongue through that in the`other end of the strap, as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the strapis slack, when by simply reversing the position of the buckle, as in Fig. 4, the two ends of the strap are drawn past each other, and it is thereby tightened, the long tongue Afwwhich in this operation serves as a lever-being secured in its place by means of a loop B, which is made to slide on the strap for that purpose; or a ring fastened to the strap may be substituted for the loop.

When it is desired to loosen the strap, the long tongue A is set free by sliding the loop B from it, when it will return to its former position, and the strain on the strap be relieved.

The advantages of this buckle over all others, are its simplicity, and consequent cheapness of construction, and the facility with which it is operated.

I am aware that two or' more Short tongues may be used, and answer nearly the same purpose; and I do not therefore, mean to limit myself to any particular number, or be confined to the use of any, short tongues.

I do not claim as new, making a buckle with a rigid or stationary tongue. But

I claim* l. The within described buckle, having one or more tongues rigidly fixed to, or made a part of the bow of the same, when madeand operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

2. I also claim the use of the within described buckle, in combination with strap 0, and loop B, or its equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GILBERT L. BAILEY.

Witnesses:

WM. H. JnRvIs, Jol-IN M. ADAMS. 

